Haarlem is getting hipper Haarlem is as charming as it is boring; that’s what I used to think and say about my hometown. I know, pretty harsh, right? Don’t get me wrong. It doesn’t mean that I don’t live a happy life there, mind you! But even though Haarlem was praised several years in a […]

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Celebrating New Year’s Eve at Fete des Tetes I’m not particularly a fan of New Year’s Eve. Especially not in the Netherlands, with all the super scary, dangerous fireworks flying around your ears and all. But when I stumbled upon a dressed-up theme and dance party at the Toneelschuur, we decided to buy tickets for […]

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What is StadsKunstKamer Haarlem? Literal translation is City’s Art Chamber/Room. It’s the name of a corner-window-‘room’ in Haarlem’s City Hall (Publiekshal), designated for modern art exhibitions by local artists. You cannot see or access it from inside the Publiekshal. It’s a small space for art, to be seen in the window when passing by. What is […]

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Haarlem, a charming, but sleepy town…or not quite? Strolling through the centre of Haarlem after a three month absence, I see mostly familiar things. Buildings, shops, cafes and restaurants; the majority is still there. Not everything though. In this day and age, small indie shops and restaurants come and go. So each time when I […]

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Santa Claus is coming to town and so is Liptease! Last year Frits and I went, together with a group of friends and family, to the Patronaat in Haarlem to see the Christmas performance by Liptease. We had a ball, singing along, dancing our socks of and having fun. Liptease Let it snow show – […]

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Het Veerkwartier Haarlem Remember my review of Buitenplaats Plantage? A lovely restaurant/cafe/bar/lounge/indoor-outdoor place in a greenhouse near Haarlem? Well, Het Veerkwartier is a similar place. You find this “restaurant-and-more” in Haarlem’s Waarderpolder. Park your car on the parking lot across from the KPN tower and from there it’s only a short stroll to lake Veerplas […]

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I promised you that -after my series about Groningen city-, I would now show you around in Groningen-province. And I WILL! But it’s summer now in Holland, at least for a few days, so I want to point out one of my favorite hotspots near Haarlem, especially recommended on a sunny day: Buitenplaats Plantage. Visiting […]

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Settling at last…. sort of…. I moved around quite a lot in The Netherlands. My wanderings brought me to Haarlem about 20 years ago. To the house where I still live in today. Wow, I never lived anywhere else that long! Guess I grew me some roots after all;-)! Sort of…. because I live 6 months […]

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Last summer I finally visited the Ruins of Brederode, only a few kilometers from my house. Isn’t it strange how these things work? I live in Haarlem for almost 20 years now and paying the Ruins a visit had been in the back of my mind all this time. But as is often the case, […]

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Haarlem, conveniently located between Amsterdam and the beach Haarlem, my hometown in the Netherlands, is a sleepy, but charming town, positioned between the west coast and Amsterdam. Between my house and the coast you find mainly nature. Parks, forests, vast dune areas and finally the beach. Many of my friends and fellow citizens bike to the […]